Practitioners In Nigeria Research Articles

Gastrointestinal endoscopy in Nigeria

Materials for this review were obtained mainly through online search of relevant websites, survey of gastroenterologists in Nigeria, and personal communication with some leaders in various locations. Endoscopy became a reality because of the desire of medical practitioners over the centuries to look inside hollow organs to make accurate diagnosis and to treat such illnesses. From rudimental equipment in antiquity, endoscopy developed rapidly in the nineteenth century. Initial practitioners in Nigeria were foreign trained and were located in the first-generation teaching hospitals. The advance was slowed down with the downward trend of the economy in the 1990s and the early 2000s. Progress has picked up now due mainly to the establishment of more tertiary hospitals, training of specialists at the postgraduate colleges, and the influence of the professional body, Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria. Endoscopy has contributed to help us define more precisely the epidemiology of diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in Nigeria, including peptic ulcer disease, Helicobacter pylori, reflux disease, GI bleeding, and disease of the lower gastrointestinal tract. It has provided means for treating many diseases locally, without the need for surgery. For endoscopy to grow rapidly, we must use our training center regularly, persuade our administrators to see the need for providing equipment and facilities, bring along our support staff by providing relevant training, maintain collaboration with foreign partners, and influence equipment suppliers to provide better services to us though replacement agreements and establishment of competent repair facilities in Nigeria.

Comparative Antibacterial Analysis and Synergistic Potency of the Leaf Extracts of Ocimum gratissimum Linn. and Gongronema latifolium Benth. on Some Enteric Bacterial Isolates

The research was undertaken to investigate the comparative phytochemical and in-vitro antibacterial activity of the single and combined strengths of the leaf extracts of Ocimum gratissimum Linn and Gongronema latifolium Benth. on some enteric bacterial isolates. The sensitivity test and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were carried out using a modified agar-well diffusion method. The enteric bacterial isolates tested included Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella Typhi and Enterobacter aerogenes. Standard methods were applied to obtain the ethanol and aqueous leaf extracts. The ethanol extracts of O. gratissimum and G. latifolium produced highly significant inhibitory activity against all the enteric bacterial isolates tested. Comparatively, the ethanol plant extracts were more potent than the commercially available drug, Ciprofloxacin and the aqueous plant extracts. The isolates were sensitive at a minimum inhibitory concentration of 1.25 mg/ml for the ethanol extract but varied from 2.5 mg/ml - 5.0mg/ml in the aqueous extract. It was also observed that the synergistic antibacterial effect of the medicinal plant extracts was greater than the singular antibacterial effect of the individual plant extracts in both the ethanol and aqueous extracts. The potency of the individual extracts and the combined effect may be due to the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins and saponins in the leaves of the plants. This study partly validates the use of the plant extracts in the treatment of disease caused by the enteric bacterial isolates by multiple traditional medicine practitioners in Nigeria, however, strict adherence to dosage is recommended. The leaf extract is a potential source of the new drug if the components are purified and enhanced for treating infections caused by these enteric pathogens.

Medical Negligence in Nigeria: A Quick Guide on Liabilities and Remedies

In Nigeria, there is an alarming increase of medical negligence, and this is due to lack of available manpower and infrastructure in the health sector. Most Nigerians have experienced a terrible state of care by health care providers. These health care providers are generally called medical practitioners. They are qualified and appropriately registered to practice. They include any professional within the medical field, e.g. nurse, doctors, surgeons, pediatricians, pharmacists, radiologists, ophthalmologists and a host of others. Currently, there are lots of reports on social media and newspapers of harms incurred by patients as a result of the negligent care provided by medical practitioners. An empirical work by a researcher shows that 61.69% of Nigerian patients feel that medical practitioners in Nigeria are arrogant and careless about their conditions and plights. Also, 33.3% of Nigerian patients indicated that their doctor’s treatment had caused them extra injury beyond the ones that took them to the hospital. In spite of this large number of victims, the number of cases recorded or filed as lawsuits are low. The reason for low-level of claims includes a cultural notion of adverse medical events, poverty, illiteracy, limited option of treatment, reluctant to seek redress against the medical practitioner and most of all ignorance. Against this background, patients must be properly informed of their rights to claim and the possibility of instituting a suit against negligent health providers. Certainly, the quality of care may improve in Nigeria if health care providers are liable for their careless acts. It becomes apposite to closely examine the legal rights and remedies available to a patient who has been a victim of medical negligence.

Lipophilic and hydrophilic leaf extracts of Portulaca oleracea (Purslane) disrupts female sex hormones in albino rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Background and aimDecoctions and infusions from the aerial parts of Portulaca oleracea Linn., especially the leaves and stems, are used by traditional medicine practitioners in Nigeria to enhance fertility in humans. The scarcity of literature on the use of this plant for the said purpose as well as its efficacy prompted this research. Study investigated effect of lipophilic and hydrophilic leaf extracts of Portulaca oleracea on oestrous cycle, female sex hormones at various phases of oestrous cycle and ovarian and uterine histomorphology in albino rats. Experimental procedureExperimental animals were randomly divided into 7 groups of 5 rats each. Group A (control) received 0.5 ml 20% Tween 80 (vehicle), groups B, C & D received 125, 250 & 500 mg/kg of the lipophilic extract respectively and E, F & G received 125, 250 & 500 mg/kg of the hydrophilic extract respectively for 21 days. Oestrous cycle was assessed daily. At the end, blood samples (for hormones) and ovarian &uterine sections (histoarchitecture) were collected. Results and conclusionBoth extracts had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on oestrous cycle, ovarian & uterine histoarchitecture and female sex hormones except at proestrus phase where significant (p < 0.05) decrease in LH and FSH was recorded. P.oleracea as used in this study may have deleterious effect on female reproductive system as shown by the disruption of the hormones at proestrus phase. This can form a basis to refute the use of P.oleracea leaf extracts in enhancing fertility as it has been shown to affect the gonadotropins involved in folliculogenesis.

Awareness and Practice of Vaccination of Chronic Hemodialysis Patients by Specialist Nephrology Practitioners in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Vaccination of hemodialysis (HD) patients reduces mortality and infection transmission in dialysis units, but its practice is perceivably poor in Nigeria with no study quantifying the level of awareness and practice to date. A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study on nephrologists was designed. Average group performance scores were calculated for each professional group. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0 software. The mean age of a total of 142 respondents was 40.7 ± 8.4 years. The average group performance scores for consultants, senior registrars, medical officers, dialysis nurses, and general nurses were 63.4, 63.4, 50.3, 43.4, and 43.4, respectively. Six facilities (11.1%) had active vaccination protocol against hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) alone. These comprised 4/8 (50%) private facilities and 2/46 (4.3%) public hospitals. One public tertiary hospital (2.2%) had an active vaccination protocol against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Awareness and practice of vaccination of HD patients by nephrologists is low. Practice of vaccination of HD patients is better in the private sector.

Ethno-Botanical Survey of Plants with Antidiabetic Properties Used by Traditional Practitioners in Nigeria

Ethno-Botanical Survey of Plants with Antidiabetic Properties Used by Traditional Practitioners in Nigeria

Challenges of residency training and early career doctors in Nigeria study (charting study): A protocol paper

Introduction: Early career doctors (ECDs) make up a significant proportion of the workforce of medical/dental practitioners in Nigeria. ECDs play pivotal roles in the Nigerian healthcare system. However, several factors affect ECDs in their career endeavours, ranging from poor remuneration to psychosocial problems (such as burn out, job dissatisfaction, etc.). While other countries have tried to investigate these factors and their impact, no national inquiry has been done yet in Nigeria. This demonstrates the critical need to conduct a nationally representativestudy exploring these factors, such as demographic, workplace and psychosocial factors, among ECDs in Nigeria. This article is a protocol paper for the challenges of residency training and early career doctors in Nigeria study; charting study to be conducted under the auspices of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria(NARD).Methods: The Charting Study would be a mixed study design, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative study designs and access data from structured questionnaire, focus group interview and secondary data available to the association.Conclusion: The outcome of this study will provide great insight into various issues affecting ECDs in Nigeria and make necessary recommendations.Keywords: Nigeria, early career doctors, junior doctors, physicians, dentists, workplace, psychosocial issues

Hormonal changes, semen quality and variance in reproductive activity outcomes of post pubertal rabbits fed Moringa oleifera Lam. leaf powder

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMoringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) is an important plant based staple food, known for its nutritional and medicinal value and is usually prescribed by herbal practitioners in Nigeria and in other tropical countries for the treatment of male infertility problems and reproductive diseases in females. Although the aphrodisiac properties and fertility enhancement potential in males have been reported, the underlying mechanisms for the activity remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the influence of supplementing the diet with M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder on reproductive hormones and semen quality of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Materials and methodsThirty-two (32) NZW rabbits of 50:50 ratio bucks to does, were randomly distributed to four treatment groups (n = 4 bucks, n = 4 does per group). Graded levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 g/kg) of M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder was incorporated into rabbit growers pellet. The does and bucks were housed separately in hutches and sheltered under the same environmental conditions with free access to their respective treatment diets for a period of 12 weeks. ResultsIn female rabbits, treatment revealed significant (P < 0.05) dose-dependent reduction in the concentration of serum FSH, LH and oestrogen. While in contrast the highest dose of leaf powder significantly (P < 0.05) increased progesterone and prolactin concentrations remained unaffected. On the other hand, the concentration of FSH and LH in bucks was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in treatment groups compared to the control group. Serum testosterone concentrations were significantly lower in the 5 and 10 g/kg treatment groups. Semen volume, sperm count and motility were significantly improved in a dose dependent manner with increasing amounts of M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder in the diet. ConclusionsWe conclude that M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder supplementation to the diet was more beneficial to male rabbit fertility than the female, where it tended to have a negative impact through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, with the varying impact of M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of male and female animals, further investigation is necessary to determine the mechanism through which it operates.

Current Practices Regarding Treatment of Neonatal Jaundice by Neonatal Care Practitioners in Nigeria

Background: Neonatal jaundice is a common medical condition encountered in the neonatal period in Nigerian hospitals. Its management is not homogenous among healthcare providers. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating current practices related to the treatment of neonatal jaundice among doctors and nurses caring for neonates in Nigeria. Methods: Healthcare providers managing neonates in Nigeria were surveyed during annual general and scientific meetings of the Nigerian Society of Neonatal Medicine in 2017. In addition, the Paediatric Association of Nigeria’s mailing list was utilized to disseminate a self-administered, pretested and structured questionnaire to doctors and nurses involved in taking care of newborns in Nigeria. Results: The results of the study showed that local guidelines / protocols were highly applied by the respondents. The majority of the health care providers would screen newborns for neonatal jaundice before discharge. The practice of early discharge within 24 hours was rampant with a high frequency of late follow up at 6 weeks. Conclusion: The practices regarding management of neonatal jaundice among healthcare professionals in Nigeria vary with better practices observed in specialist cadres. Newborn discharge and follow-up practices also vary and are sub-optimal. Therefore, there is a need for more awareness creation on neonatal jaundice treatment among cadres of health care practitioners. This should be complimented with the development of a national guideline on the management of neonatal jaundice in Nigeria.

Money, Exchange Rate, Prices and Output in Nigeria: A Test of the P-Star Model

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The search for robust model to predict inflation within a QTM framework gave birth to P-star model which has attracted less attention of researchers and practitioners in Nigeria. This study applied the methodology to high frequency Nigerian data from 1995M1 to 2018M6 to determine the validity of the model for Nigeria using error correction model (ECM). The result supports the working of the model but with slight modification. The modification centres on the incorporation of foreign price gap, (open economy view of inflation), reserve money (Friedmanic/monetarist view), price per litre of petroleum motor spirit (PMS) and output gap (Structuralist view). With this modification, P-star model proved to be a viable inflation forecasting alternative model for Nigeria. Consequently, the Central Bank of Nigeria is advised to consider adopting this modified version of the model to forecast inflation for Nigeria at least as a complimentary model to be used side-by-side with the existing forecasting model of the Bank. This will no doubt enhance the efficacy of the monetary policy of the Bank as such policies will be predicated on sufficient information, particularly on the future path of inflation.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Critical Success Factors for Building Information Modelling Implementation

Adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the global construction industry is fast growing. This paper expounds the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for BIM implementation and explore their ranking and underlying relationships. A total of 28 CSFs was identified from the review of previous studies on success factors. Survey questionnaire containing these 28 factors was used to collect data from industry practitioners in Nigeria. Benchmark metrics was developed to rank the success factors. The topmost five success factors for BIM implementation in order of importance are: standard platforms for integration and communication; cost of development; education and training; standardization (product and process); and clear definition and understanding of users’ requirement. Analysis of variance shows that significant differences exist in the pattern of rating for the topmost CSFs based on turnover. Factor analysis was further adopted to group the 28 CSFs into five components, using rotated component matrix method. The five components extracted are: (i) industry stakeholders’ commitment and knowledge of BIM, (ii) capacity building for technology adoption, (iii) organisational support, (iv) collaborative synergy among industry professional and (v) cultural orientation. The rankings of the CSFs provide basis for prioritising the most significant factors that industry stakeholders should focus attention for successful implementation of BIM. In addition, the underlying relationships among the success factors identified in this study, will assist industry stakeholders to determine best strategy to adopt in implementing BIM at industry level.

Public perceptions on ethics in the practice of assisted reproductive technologies in Nigeria

The rapid expansion of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) services in Nigeria has stimulated public interest in the need to address related ethical issues and the institutionalization of regulatory guidelines to regulate the practice of ART in Nigeria in order to protect patients’ rights and safety. This study aims to document the views of various stakeholders in ART regarding salient ethical issues relating to its practice in Nigeria. The Ethics committee of the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health in Nigeria (AFRH) organized a focus group discussion with participants drawn from different sociocultural/religious backgrounds and professional disciplines to deliberate on 16 key ethical issues in ART practice. Given the understanding that there are no rights or wrong answers when considering the ethics, the participants reached a consensus that access to ART is a fundamental reproductive right for all members of the society regardless of marital status and that choices made are dependent individual circumstances. There was a noticeable progressive shift in opinions on some issues, compared with a previous study, and a persistent negative view of others within the legal and sociocultural dictates of the Nigerian society especially on issues concerning sex selection and orientation. This study provides updated information on the societal viewpoints and perceptions which could aid the promulgation of ethical practice guidelines for ART practitioners in Nigeria.

A look at the two–way referral system: experience and perception of its handling by medical consultants/specialists among private medical practitioners in Nigeria

Background A two way referral system is an organized two way relationship between a health care provider or physician in a health care facility at one level of the health care system and another health care provider or physician in a health care facility at the same or higher level of the health care system In a two way referral system there ought to be effective communication between physicians at the same or different levels of the health care system It is obligatory for the referring physician to refer a patient promptly in a manner that guarantees efficient cost effective optimal and quality care for the patient It also requires the physician in the receiving hospital health care facility to refer the patient back after treatment to the health care facility or physician that initiated the referral in the first instance with clear feedback on the observed findings investigations conducted for the patient and the treatment given to the patient This aids effective continuity of care and also updates the referring physician rsquo s knowledge Since an effective efficient and integrated referral system is vital to the performance of Nigeria rsquo s healthcare system the importance of the practice and perception of the two way referral system by Private Medical Practitioners in Nigeria particularly as it affects their relationship with Medical Consultants Specialists cannot be over emphasized Objective This study assessed the practice and perception of the two way referral system by Private Medical Practitioners in Nigeria with the hope of providing valuable information that will help improve the practice of the two way referral system in Nigeria particularly through an enhanced relationship between Private Medical Practitioners in Nigeria and Medical Consultants Specialists Methods This was a cross sectional survey of Private Medical Practitioners in Nigeria to assess their self reported practice and perception of the two way referral system Data were analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences version IBM SPSS Chicago IL statistical software with Pearson rsquo s chi square used to determine associations between variables Statistical significance was set at a P value of lt Results There were respondents with males and females M F The age range of the respondents was yrs with a mean age of plusmn yrs Majority of the respondents had practiced for more than yrs while majority practiced in only a private health facility Only of the respondents claimed not to be aware of the two way referral system while were extremely aware Most of the respondents had good knowledge of the two way referral system of the respondents claimed they have never received a backward referral letter or feedback from medical consultants specialists after referral of patients to them while claimed to have received sometimes Out of those who reported they got feedback less than one third got a feedback only when they requested for it Though more than half of the respondents were not at all satisfied with the handling of referrals by Medical Consultants Specialists in Tertiary Teaching Hospitals and almost half rated the handling of referrals by Medical Consultants Specialists to be poor majority strongly agreed that the two way referral system is relevant to the health care delivery system Conclusion The two way referral system has the potential to significantly strengthen Nigeria rsquo s healthcare system through effective participation and synergy between Private Medical Practitioners and Medical Consultants Specialists Although Private Medical Practitioners in Nigeria may have good awareness and knowledge of the Two way referral system their experience and perception of the handling of referrals by Medical Consultants Specialists is poor

Perception and practice of thromboprophylaxis in patients with hematological malignancies among hemato-oncology practitioners in Nigeria

Background: Cancer-associated thrombosis is a cause of increased morbidity and mortality in patients with hematological malignancies. Thromboprophylaxis may reduce this risk and improve the patients' prognosis and quality of life. Objectives: The study evaluates the awareness and practice of thromboprophylaxis by physicians managing patients with hematological malignancies and identifies challenges with such practice. Subjects and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the 42nd Annual General Meetings of the Nigerian Society of Haematology and Blood Transfusion held in Lagos 2016. A 12-item pretested questionnaire was used to obtain data on the perception and practice of thromboprophylaxis of hemato-oncologic patients from the 55 consenting hematologists in attendance. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 21. Results: The awareness and practice rate of cancer thromboprophylaxis are 96.4% and 92.7%, respectively. Multiple myeloma is the most common neoplasm of which hematologists practice thromboprophylaxis. Warfarin is the most prescribed anticoagulant. Doppler ultrasonography and basic coagulation screening tests are most readily available investigations. Funding and laboratory insufficiency are the leading challenges mitigating against effective management of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Conclusion: There is a high level of awareness and practice of thromboprophylaxis in cancer patients by Nigerian hematologists; however, scarcity of fund for investigation and drug procurement and limited laboratory capacity to diagnose and monitor patients still constitute a challenge to effective management of VTE.

Multiple Sources of Healthcare Delivery System and the Formal Recognized State Healthcare: The Bane of Nigeria Healthcare Development

Objectives: While other countries such as China, Cuba and India have developed traditional medical system, such development is missing in Nigeria. This study examined the challenges of traditional medicine and practitioners in Nigeria; why is traditional medicine still backward. It analyzed the attitude of Nigerian people with respect to their perception of ill-health and pathways to healthcare delivery system. This was on the basis of the fact that healthy living is generally a major concern for all worldwide.Design: This study adopted an historical research method relying mainly on secondary sources of data from the past relevant researches, internet sources, official documents from government agencies and NGOs were consulted to establish a form of comparing the information in the public domain and the experience of the practitioners. The association of Nigerian traditional medical practitioners’ office in Lagos was visited for detailed information. The archive in the University of Ibadan Nigeria was also visited for adequate data.Setting: The study was focused on Nigerian people and their health situation.Results: The study revealed that healthcare delivery systems in Nigeria are mainly; Orthodox medicine (both private and public healthcare systems), traditional medicine and faith healing system. However, distribution of healthcare facilities and services in the country are lopsided, attention were concentrated on the cities and where the elite reside at the expense of the poor. The aftermath of this is that the traditional medicine was mostly utilized by the majority of the people.Conclusions: It has been established that a majority of Nigerians (over 75%) live below one dollar per day, which invariably implies that they are poor. The government in its capacity should, as a matter of urgency, put in place policies to ensure its implementations to develop the traditional medicine because it is closer, cheaper and mostly utilized by Nigerians.

PR Practitioners’ Use of Social Media: Validation of an Online Relationship Management Model Applying Structural Equation Modeling

The emergence of social media had shaped the relationships between public relations practitioners, organizations and publics. Social media provides numerous opportunities of maintaining mutual relationships between these entities, specifically because of its speed and interactive potentials. Hence, many organizations established social media sites and public relations practitioners utilized it in their workplace. However, most of the studies that examined the influence of social media in shaping organizations-public relationships were not carried out on a theoretical continuum. Hence, little is known on the influence of social media on public relations practice from developing countries’ perspective. The motivation of this study was to propose and validate a model which explains how public relations practitioners use social media for enhancing mutual relationships with their strategic publics. The significance of conducting this study is to bring to light the influence of social media in public relations practice from a country that has different demographic, economic and political settings from countries which most of the studies of this nature were carried out before. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was utilized as the theoretical guide of this study. Thus, the actual use of social media among PR practitioners was measured by a construct named, Perceived Mutual Relationship. Perceived Mutual Relationship was also measured from three dimensions which included: trust; commitment and satisfaction. Data were collected from 513 public relations practitioners in Nigeria through a systematic random sampling. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed for analysis of the model. The study used TAM to explain reasons why practitioners utilized social media for enhancing mutual relationships with their publics. Specifically, the validated model proved that use of social media for relationship management was explained by 73%. The validated model provides public relations researchers with a theoretical framework to investigate how social media could be utilized in promoting mutual relationships between public relations practitioners, their organizations and target publics.

Barriers to Construction Health and Safety Self-regulation: A Scoping Case of Nigeria

This scoping study builds on the recent uncovering that in terms of health and safety (H&S), the Nigerian construction industry is self-regulated in various forms, not unregulated and that the size of company can further explain H&S self-regulation. Consequently, the barriers identified through literature review were assessed using questionnaires. Analysis of the data collected from construction practitioners in Nigeria shows that ‘economic factors’ mostly explains the barriers to construction H&S self-regulation. This is followed by the ‘ability to self-regulate’ and ‘lack of awareness’. Furthermore, the results show significant differences among small, medium and large construction contractors on seven factors of which include ‘normative case’ factors, ‘H&S is a duty’, ‘H&S is the right thing’ and ‘unfair H&S standards or legislation’. Although a scoping study, the study draws attention to the barriers to construction H&S self-regulation in Nigeria and demonstrates an alternative to state regulation of H&S.

Effect of &lt;i&gt;Carica papaya&lt;/i&gt; (Linn) aqueous leaf extract on pharmacokinetic profile of ciprofloxacin in rabbits

Purpose: To investigate the fate of ciprofloxacin, after concomitant administration with the aqueous leaf extract of Carica papaya, which herbal practitioners in Nigeria have found helpful in the treatment of painful crisis in sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients.Method: Thirteen rabbits were fasted for 12 h and given by oral route 20 mg/kg ciprofloxacin (control group); after a 3-week crossover period, the animals were given 500 mg/kg aqueous extract of Carica papaya followed by 20 mg/kg ciprofloxacin (treatment group). Blood samples were collected over a period of 0 - 24 h post-dosing, and pharmacokinetic profile of ciprofloxacin in plasma sample determined using a validated high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method.Results: Time to attain maximum plasma ciprofloxacin concentration (Tmax), lag time and clearance (CL/F) were higher in the treated group; all other pharmacokinetic parameters showed significant decrease in the treated group (p &lt; 0.005) compared to the control group. The slow rate of elimination of ciprofloxacin in the control group (0.32 ± 0.11 h-1) compared to the treated group (0.21 ± 0.07 h-1) was not due to kidney impairment as plasma creatinine level indicated that kidney function was within normal range (0.68 ± 2.78 mg/dl).Conclusion: The results of the study show that there is interaction between ciprofloxacin and Carica papaya. This interaction can be avoided by taking ciprofloxacin at least 3 h prior to administration of the leaf extract of C. papaya.Keywords: Carica papaya, Ciprofloxacin, Sickle cell anaemia, Herb-drug interaction, Pharmacokinetics

Applicability of anti-money laundering laws to legal practitioners in Nigeria

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the recent judgement of the Federal High Court exempting Nigerian lawyers from anti-money laundering (AML) obligations and to proffer suggestions as to ways of complying with international standards. Design/methodology/approach An analysis of the case and judgement was undertaken and a commentary on the effect of the obligations on lawyers was given. As a result of the analysis, suggestions were made to satisfy regulatory requirements while recognising the sanctity of the legal profession and the professional responsibilities members owe to their clients. Findings AML obligations are tasking and may impact negatively on rights of both lawyers and of their clients. However, with some measures taken by both regulators and lawyers, loopholes can be comfortably covered without leaving the legal sector exposed to criminal intents. Research limitations/implications There has not been any appeal on the case, and therefore the paper may not be conclusive. Practical implications Very relevant recommendations were made and, if taken up, may provide a meeting point for both parties and achieve the key purpose of detecting and/or preventing money laundering. Originality/value This is the first academic paper to analyse the current case and to provide relevant suggestions on the matter.

Is the knowledge and attitude of physicians in Nigeria adequate for the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea?

The knowledge and attitude of doctors in Nigeria towards obstructive sleep apnea is not known. We evaluated the level of knowledge and attitude regarding OSA among resident doctors in Internal Medicine and general practitioners in Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey among doctors during continuing medical education programs was conducted. The Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Attitude (OSAKA) questionnaire was used to obtain information. Two hundred seventy-three doctors (235 resident doctors and 38 general practitioners) participated in the study. The mean knowledge score was 10.7±2.6 (out of a maximum possible of 18) for all participants corresponding to 59±14.4% knowledge. There was no significant difference in the mean score of resident doctors (10.8±2.5) compared to general practitioners (10.0±2.8), (t=2.6, p=0.10). Over 70% of the participants wrongly responded that uvuloplasty was an effective treatment and less than 40% correctly answered that continuous positive airway pressure treatment was first line for severe obstructive sleep apnea. The mean score on the attitude segment was 3.4±0.6 (maximum possible score of 5) for all participants and 3.4±0.6 and 3.3±0.5, respectively, for the residents and the general practitioners (p=0.47). Increasing age was negatively associated with level of knowledge, while increasing number of years in medical practice and higher level of residency training was positively associated with higher knowledge scores. The knowledge of obstructive sleep apnea among resident doctors and general practitioners in Nigeria is inadequate. There is need to improve training on sleep disorders in Nigeria both at continuing medical education programs and during residency training.